Chicara Nagata’s award-winning motorcycles are literally unparalleled. They are not just motorcycles, but masterpieces.

Probably that is why three of them are featured in an exhibit at New York’s Ippodo Gallery and the Contemporary Asian Art Fair. The bikes are as meticulously crafted as they are stunningly detailed, blending vintage parts with modern design to create motorcycles that are simultaneously retro and futuristic.

Chicara’s art is his expression of gratefulness to the very machines that almost killed him, and to the people who saved him when a motorcycle accident nearly killed him at the age of 16. Thus was born a graphic designer who soon took on to become a mobike builder.

He has built 13 bikes so far. Nagata won the grand prize in the 2006 AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building for Chicara Art I, a sleek retro-ride powered by a 1939 Harley-Davidson U motor.

Other than the antique Harley Davidson engines, the 500 parts used in his every motorcycle- including the frames, the suspension components and even the throttle assemblies and hand controls – are designed and made by Nagata.

The three bikes at Ippodo gallery are priced at $ 1 million each.

Source : Wired

While all eyes and focus were on another historical feat as British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 F1 Drivers Championship, becoming the first black and youngest ever winner of the sport, Ferrari quietly celebrated their 16th Constructors title with the announcing of their Ferrari F430 16M.

By Ferrari’s accounts this will be the fastest open-top car ever from the Italian sports car giant, gaining a number of weight advantages over the regular F430.

The French fashion designer Christian Audigier might have taken over the fashion world, but he’s now trying his hand at the automotive world with his new venture: Christian Audigier Motoring, a line of customized vehicles inspired by first-class fashion and jet-set lifestyle

As an avid car enthusiast, Audigier wanted to bring the class and luxury he brought to the fashion industry to the automotive game by creating a custom vehicle based on the Cadillac Escalade.

The V-8, 4-wheel-drive, super luxury SUV has been completely redesigned from the ground up to appeal to the customer that enjoys a chauffer-driven experience. This state-of-the-art electronic integration coupled with truly innovative re-engineering and customization makes the Audigier VIF1 the flagship vehicle in the stable (pictures above and below).

Launched in 2008, CA Motoring will manufacture two lines of bespoke vehicles based on Audigier’s original hand-sketched designs. Customers are able to coordinate their particular wants, needs and desires into a custom-crafted bespoke vehicle with CA Motoring relationship managers.

“We awarded the Christian Audigier designer label vehicles as the ‘Publisher’s Choice’ in our November issue because of the originality and first-class style these vehicles have,” says Tom duPont, Founder and Publisher of the duPont REGISTRY. “We look for non-traditional vehicles that bridge the gap between luxury, design and fine automotive coachwork as demonstrated beautifully this month by Audigier’s new twist on the automobile.”

A private ceremony was held on friday at the Viminale Palace where Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. donated a police version of the company’s newest super sports car, Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia, to the head of the Italian State Police.

The new Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia, which replaces the previous Gallardo in use by the Italian police force since 2004 has a 560 horsepower engine that can reach speeds of up to 203 mph.

The car will begin service with the Lazio Highway Police Department in order to continue accident and crime prevention to sustain security on the Italian roads.

It was just a matter of time that a Chrome Mercedes McLaren SLR was created, and no where else than you would expect but to be showcased at the Mall of Emirates (huge shopping mall) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I wonder if it is owned by the same person who has the Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang ?

The entrants for the 2008 Design Los Angeles Challenge have been officially released, with the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center of North America unveiling the Formula Zero.

Built around the theme of motor sports racing in the year 2025, the Formula Zero concept aims to combine “the thrill of Formula One, the track dynamics of the bobsled or luge, and the grace and efficiency of yacht racing.”

Reminiscent of the Mercedes Benz racing heritage of the 1930′s, the Mercedes Formula Zero Racer concept is loaded with technology designed to extract the maximum thrust from the electric hub motors, aero-efficient solar skin and high-tech rigid sail.